


Two Cats on the Catwalk

by Bullseyegames



Category: Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Platonic Relationships, Theater lingo, emotional angst, flash back? Does this count as a flashback, social responsibility, wholesome friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:22:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29434536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bullseyegames/pseuds/Bullseyegames
Summary: The Pantomime season tends to keep a certain cat very busy, even if he is only understudying. It's only rehearsal though, surely nothing life changing will happen if a certain Theatre cat convinces his fluffy friend to sneak out of the yard for a visit right?Right?
Relationships: Grizabella/Old Deuteronomy (Mentioned)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Two Cats on the Catwalk

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Need_To_Comment_Rising](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Need_To_Comment_Rising/gifts).



> This is my part of the Jellicle Valentines art trade organized by @storyweaverofgondor! I was assigned @is-it-mungojerry-or-rumpelteazer and chose to do Platonic Old Deuteronomy/Gus the Theater cat and as you can see... I may have done a weird twist on the whole thing. I really hope you enjoy!

“My friend I simply don’t understand why humans would wish such ill will towards each other before going onstage!”.

Gus chuckled as he shook his head, “They’re not wishing each other actually harm Deut, they're referring to the curtain. They’re hoping that there will be enough curtain calls due to the audiences roaring applause that the constant raising and lowering of the curtain will break the lever controlling it.”.

Duet glanced down over the edge of the catwalk for a moment as he squinted at the humans moving about onstage, their forms seeming so much smaller than normal from the height he now sat at. It took a moment of pondering as he pawed at his mane before he turned to the other tom, “well then why don't they wish their fellow performers to… ‘destroy the curtain’ or… well I don’t know! I don’t understand humans on the best of days, but these performer humans just make the least sense to me!”.

Gus glanced up at the dark fluffy tom with a surprised grin, “less sense than Jenny and the new mice brigade she’s training?”.

There was pause between them before Deut let out a flabbergasted sigh, “...they make slightly more sense than Jenny and her mice. But only slightly!”.

Gus burst into laughter, a bright sound that quickly spread to Deut. Deut always tried to model himself with composure and grace to his fellow Jellicles, as the position of future leadership rightfully demanded, but he could never manage to keep up such composure around Gus. Gus was an electric personality, his smile bright and his laughter terribly contagious. He lit up the yard whenever he was around, which recently had not been very often.

As the pair came down from their fit of giggles Gus flopped onto his back, glancing at his now seemingly upside down friend with a smile, “speaking of Jenny, how have her and the tribe been fairing these past few weeks? I am sorry I haven’t been able to visit, but pantomime season prep tends to keep me busy.”.

Deut nodded in understanding as he once again absently pawed at his mane, “Well things have been busy since I’ve begun training. I never really understood how much it took to become a protector. The drills, the watches, the exercises its… it's all quite a lot. I mean I know it’s expected of me as the future leader but I just… well it doesn't matter I’ll get used to it soon enough. The training, the hours, and the prestige that comes with it. After all, Bella already has so there’s no going back now.”.

Gus’ eyes widened, along with his smile, at the mention of Deut’s current Queen friend. Flipping over rapidly he quickly scooted closer to his friend, “so you and Grizzy are still going strong are you? She’s always showing off herself, it must be nice to show off someone else for a change. Everlasting, protector in training, the prettiest queen in the tribe, your future as leader secured… and you say your past life didn’t get chosen by the Everlasting cat! You have it made my friend.”.

Gus smiled giddily at his friend, but it faded slightly when Deuteronomy didn't return it. The fluffy dark grey tom simply stared down from their perch on the catwalks to the actors rehearsing on the stage below, a strange expression on his face Gus couldn't quite pinpoint. Gus fidgeted in the awkward silence for a moment before chiming up again to end it, “hey don't… don't act so glum Duet. I know you don’t like all of the… responsibility of being the future leader but you have a long time before that happens! In the meantime you have power, respect, adoration… you have everything! I may work for one of the best theaters in London but even I’m just an understudy mate.”.

“ _ But at least you have freedom _ …”, Deut mumbled out the words barely audible above the idle sounds of the theater. Gus tilted his head slightly in confusion as he leaned forward, “what was that mate?”. 

Deut turned his head sharply to look at Gus, a glimmer of sadness on his usually placid expression, “you have something I’ll never have, freedom. I am constantly being watched by everyone in the tribe, from the kittens to the elders, every achievement idolized and ever mistake scrutinized to no end. Sneaking out of the yard used to be childs play but now just getting out to do… anything on my own is becoming harder and harder and once I’m protector I won’t have any free time at all I just… I just…”.

Deuteronomy felt his words failed him as he lowered his chin to rest on the catwalk, staring once more at the stage below. Gus stood in stunned silence for a moment before Deut spoke once more, “I know I am blessed with so much but… if my past life really wished for this then I did not know what I was getting myself into.”.

Gus sat silent for a moment, staring at his companion as the hated silence returned. Gus hated quiet, the moments filled with hesitation and second guessing. He especially hated it when he was the one who was second guessing himself. He gingerly sat up, his paws fidgeting slightly, as he struggled to find the proper thing to say, “D-Deut I… I didn’t mean to-.”.

He fumbled for another moment before taking a deep breath, affixing his face with a firm look as he looked down at his distraught friend, “Deuteronomy, you have the potential to do anything you want in this life of yours. Sure, you've got a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders, but that doesn’t mean you can't live the life you want. I mean Grizzy and your dad, and everyone else in the tribe loves you for a reason mate. You are going to do amazing things, and you're going to deserve all the good things that come to you.”.

Deuteronomy glanced up at his friend for a moment, for the first time in a long while at a loss for words. He stammered slightly after the encouraging words he had heard, “Gus I-I… thank you b-but…”.

Fortunately, his stuttering was quickly cut short by the startled cry of one of the humans onstage. The elevated pair’s attention immediately shifted to the sudden commotion happening below. Gus, as he had mentioned to Deuteronomy, was understudying a tom named Romeo who was famous for being a regular player of Dick Whittington’s cat in the pantomime of the same name. Normally, the black tuxedo was the visage of grace and dignity, if a bit full of himself, but now he looked anything but that. 

A stage hand had rapidly moved to catch the cat as he was dropped from the previously mentioned Dick Whittington’s hands, the feline’s vomit now present on the front of the actor’s costume. Gus had noticed Romeo had been acting a little sluggish for a few days now, but he had never expected him to get sick. Romeo was never sick.

The humans were in a state of chaos. The costume designer quickly pulling off the actor's shirt to get it cleaned, the actor in question more than a little upset at being given a sick cat to act with, and the stage manager desperately trying to regain order of the otherwise chaotic stage, “alright everyone calm down, calm down we have to get back to rehearsal.”.

The actor turned to her, a disgruntled expression on his face, “oh, oh yes yes we can go back to rehearsal of course! Oh, wait, one problem: how am I supposed to do Dick Whittington without a cat! There has to be a cat! Preferably one who won't vomit on me mid performance!”.

There was another brief moment of chaotic shouting before a stage hand quickly spoke up, “well Asparagus can always do it!”.

There was a pause and quiet mumbling as the performer and stage manager glanced at each other before sharing a silent shrug. A nod from the stage manager lit up the stage hands face as she quickly ran backstage, calling out for the cat in question, “Asparagus! Asparagus! Pspspspsp come on buddy, where are you?”.

Deuteronomy felt his face light up as the realization struck him, “Gus… Gus this is it! This is your chance, this is your big break… Gus?”.

Turning to look at his friend he noted that Gus had backed up into the shadows of the catwalk, and it only took a moment to note the terrified expression on his face. Deuteronomy quickly approached his friend, concern evident as he moved towards him, “Gus? Gus you look like you’re gonna be sicker than the tux onstage. What’s wrong? This is it, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for!”.

Gus glanced up at Deut for a moment before the sound of the stage hand calling his name had him clamoring deeper into the shadows, “Deut I… I cant I… I know I'm supposed to be prepared to jump in, but I-I didn't think it would happen so suddenly! Everlasting I’ve only ever performed on the trunk of the car in the junkyard and this… this is the biggest trunk in London I… I don't think I can do this. I c-can’t do this...”.

Deut stared down at his friend silently, he had never seen Gus this… this scared. He was as frozen as the cat in the shadows before him. Then he felt something stir in him, a powerful instinct he couldn’t explain and couldn't oppress. Immediately he bent down, reaching a paw out to lift Gus’ eyes to meet his own. He let a warm smile across his face, similar to the kind his own father gave to him when he was younger, “Who spends his free time memorizing every monologue in every play he can get his paws on?”.

The fear in Gus’ eyes was quickly mixed with confusion as he looked at the tom above him, “D-Deut what-?”.

Deut silenced Gus’ query with a stern look and a simple word, “who?”.

Gus felt his paws fidget nervously as he glanced downward, embarrassed, “m-me”.

“Who taught a whole litter of kittens how to sing and dance properly for their first ball?”

“Me”

“Who’s smile when they perform can outshine even the Jellicle moon at its zenith?”

“Mine!”

“Who, of all the Jellicles in London, can everyone honestly and truly say was born to perform?”

There was silence, then a startled yelp as Deuteronomy felt two paws wrap around him in a strong hug. He quickly returned it, smiling at the success and stuttering for only a moment as he felt a faint patch of moisture forming in his mane. After a moment a muffled voice was heard within the mound of fur, “thank you Deut… thank you.”.

The hug would have lasted for much longer, if not for another loud cry from the stage hand below. The two quickly separated as Gus took a shaky breath, whipping away stray tears and glancing up at Deut with a nervous expression. In response, the future leader gave the future star’s paw a firm squeeze as he gestured for him to get moving, “go on then. I’ll be watching.”.

Gus’ smile grew to its usual brightness as he turned to make his way down from the catwalk. Just before he managed to descend he was halted as Deut called out, “Gus wait!”.

As the actor turned back he saw Deut sitting tall and proud, a warm smile on his face and a joyful glint in his eye, “Destroy that curtain my friend!”.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed and a Happy Valentines day to all you kitty cats out there! :3


End file.
